Temperament of preterm infants at 4 months of age: maternal ratings and perceptions.

The purpose of this study was to compare temperament of preterm infants born at 34 weeks gestation or earlier with that of healthy, term infants at 4 months of age by maternal ratings and maternal perceptions and to examine the role of social support on maternal assessments of infant temperament. The mothers of preterm infants completed the Early Infancy Temperament Questionnaire (EITQ) and the Maternal Social Support Index when the child reached 4 months adjusted age. The EITQ assesses infant temperament by maternal ratings of specific infant behaviors and by mothers' global perceptions of infant temperament. Mothers of healthy term infants completed the same instruments when they brought their 4-month-old infant for a pediatric visit. Mothers rated preterm infants as having more negative mood (p = .01) and being less adaptable (p = .03) than term infants. However, mothers perceived that preterm infants were more difficult overall (p = .00001), had more negative mood (p < .005), were less regular (p = .02), and were less adaptable (p = .03). Mothers perceive preterm infant temperament to be more difficult than that of term infants and to be more difficult than is indicated by ratings of individual infant behaviors.